p. 15-19, Singing Ahead of Time, Luke 1:39-56
One liability of having heard the Christmas story over and over again is that we all know how it turns out. There is no way to recapture the initial shock of the news: that God is coming in the flesh to show us what real life looks like…..
“My soul magnifies the Lord,” Mary sings right there in Elizabeth’s living room, “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Elizabeth and Zechariah are the first to hear her song, but it is not just for them. It is also for her, Mary, and for the Mighty One who has done great things for her. It is for Gabriel, who first gave her the good news, and for all who will benefit from it…. Her song is for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob–for Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel—for every son and daughter of Israel who thought God had forgotten the promise to be with them forever, to love them forever, to give them fresh and endless life.
It was all happening inside of Mary, and she was so sure of it that she was singing about it ahead of time—not in the future tense but in the past, as if the promise had already come true. Prophets almost never get their verb tenses straight, because part of their gift is being able to see the world as God sees it—not divided into things that are already over and things that have not happened yet, but as an eternally unfolding mystery that surprises everyone….
The only thing that is absolutely sure in this scenario is that we have a partner who is with us and for us and who wants us to have life. Mary’s trust in that fact is really all she has. What she does not have is a sonogram, or a husband, or an affidavit from the Holy Spirit that says, “The child really is mine. Now leave the poor girl alone.” All she has is her unreasonable willingness to believe that the God who has chosen her will be part of whatever happens next—and the apparently, is enough to make her burst into song. She does not wait to see how things will turn out first. She sings ahead of time, and all the angels with her.
If there are any big changes going on with you right now—if something is underway you cannot predict the end of, and your stomach is rolling with your own version of morning sickness—then you might try following Mary’s lead. Who knows? Maybe the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Maybe that shadow hanging over you is the power of the Most High.
While it would certainly be nice to have some details about how it will all turn out, that is not really necessary, is it? You know how God has acted in the past…
May your souls magnify the Lord, and your spirits rejoice in God your Savior. For he has looked with favor on you, and all generations will call you blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for you, and holy is his name.
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